Are you a beginner on a budget? Canon's new entry-level point-and-shoot camera might be the ticket. Check it out in our Canon PowerShot A480 review.
Review summary of the Canon PowerShot A480:
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 When we think of an entry-level compact, we tend to think “cheap”, “amateurish” and “inadequate.” That’s from the eyes of an advanced shooter. However, the 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot A480 will impress a wide array of consumers. It’s a little powerhouse stocked with some burly manual controls, a great menu system, and it flaunts an eccentric new body design available in fetching two-tone color combinations. The PowerShot A480 matched the PowerShot A1100 IS in many image performance tests, though its lack of Image Stabilization led to a loss of focus in low light. The zoom is tiny, the LCD is basic and external controls are minimal, but all of the magic lies on the inside of the PowerShot A480. If you’re a beginner on a budget, the Canon PowerShot A480 is one of the best options out there. Release: March 2009. Price: $130.
Pros: Great overall image quality. Excellent menu system. Cool design.
Cons: Minimal external controls and basic LCD. Inconsistent Low light performance and small aperture range. No viewfinder.
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Full Canon PowerShot A480 Review:
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Design - Good
The Canon PowerShot A480 rocks the most eccentric architecture out of Canon's 2009 A Series lineup, and it's the only budget model to receive a complete design overhaul. While the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS sports little dissimilarity to last year's PowerShot A1000 IS, the PowerShot A480 is on another planet from the PowerShot A470 when it comes to looks. We actually liked the oblong, wedge shape of the PowerShot A480 because of its ergonomics, though this is not your typical ultra compact. There's still a reasonable amount of bulk that constitutes the PowerShot A480's chunky frame, so don't expect to slip this thing in a jean pocket. The red, blue, silver and black two-tone color schemes will help sell this camera to both sexes, and we think the PowerShot A480 is a nice little aesthetic departure from a typical budget compact.
Though it may take up a little extra room, the Canon PowerShot A480 is a solid little brick, and we never felt like we were shooting with a Wal Mart special. External controls are sparse and the PowerShot A480 has a basic 2.5-inch LCD, but that's to be expected in this class. We weren't huge fans of the rear-mounted Zoom button panel, but we rarely even used the zoom due to the PowerShot A480's 3.3x optical ratio and lack of Image Stabilization. We also had to make sure the PowerShot A480 was upside down when we swapped an SD card because the AA batteries had a tendency to drop right out of their housing and onto the disease-ridden Las Vegas sidewalks. The PowerShot A480 has DC, AV Out and USB jacks, all shrouded by a hefty plastic shield. Despite its minimalist offerings, the Canon PowerShot A480 is a nice departure from the same old budget cam.
Interface - Good
There weren't many external controls to tinker with on the Canon PowerShot A480 aside from the square four-way directional pad and Zoom button panel. The Playback button was difficult to press at times because of its recessed nature, but for the most part the PowerShot A480's buttons were highly responsive and fun to mash, transporting us back to the original Gameboy era. Though Canon kept external controls to a minimum, we still got a quick ISO shortcut located on the four-way directional pad, in addition to Macro and Flash functions.
The Canon PowerShot A480's 2.5-inch LCD has a low 115,000 pixel count, but its picture is surprisingly sharp. Of course the screen is pelted with noise most of the time, but objects were still discernable. The PowerShot A480 lacks a viewfinder, which made it more difficult to shoot under a hot Vegas sun. As far as the menu system, we're highly impressed with Canon's choice to merge the same structure found on higher end models into its base model. This is one of our favorite menu structures because it makes shooting so easy. That's another great thing about the PowerShot A480. Nearly anyone with a pulse can operate this thing.
Features - Good
As Canon's entry-level compact for 2009, we were pleased with the level of advanced features the PowerShot A480 had to offer. There were three separate shooting modes, consisting of Auto, Program AE and Scene, and Canon also included a separate mode for shooting standard-definition videos. In Program AE mode, The PowerShot A480 packs in an 80 – 1600 ISO sensitivity range, Exposure Compensation, Manual and Auto White Balance with presets and a gamut of color options with a Custom mode that enabled us to fiddle with Contrast, Sharpness and Saturation.
The PowerShot A480 has a tight f/3.0-5.8 aperture, so forget those sweeping landscape shots of the Swiss Alps. We weren't allowed to manually alter Aperture anyway, in addition to Shutter Speed. However, the PowerShot A480 has a Long Shutter Scene mode that enabled us to set the Shutter Speed to 15 seconds, which is awesome for an entry-level camera. You'll need a tripod, Self-Timer, and ground that is not prone to earthquakes, but the fact that a compact at this level packs in so many useful shooting controls is highly commendable.
The Canon PowerShot A480 also has 12 different Scene modes ranging from Portrait to Super Macro, but we found that most of their results could be attained in Program AE mode with a little experience. For beginners, Scene modes will be the next step up from Auto and the Canon PowerShot A480 will do the job without any hesitation. The PowerShot A480 is like a tamed wolf. It may seem aloof and easy to interact with, but it's got a fierce bite on the inside.
Hardware - Good
The Canon PowerShot A480 has a basic 10-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD with Canon's Digic III processing. The 2009 step-up Canon PowerShot A1100 IS is equipped with Canon's new Digic 4 processing and can shoot up to 12-megapixel images. However, we found many similarities between the PowerShot A1100 IS's and PowerShot A480's image performances. Digic 4 is geared toward advanced Face Detection functionality and the PowerShot A480 lacks Face Detection altogether. The PowerShot A480 also has a 37mm lens, which means we had to back up significantly in order to cram all of the action into our shots.
The PowerShot A480 is devoid of Image Stabilization, hence the omission of the "IS" in its model name. There were times when we had trouble keeping the PowerShot A480 steady, and we rarely used the zoom because of its low small range. The PowerShot A480's flash is mounted above the lens and to the right side, and we experienced uneven lighting at times due to its placement. Two AA batteries power the PowerShot A480 and it records JPEG images to SD/SDHC cards.
Image Quality - Good
This is an underdog rags to riches story, for the Canon PowerShot A480 performed exceptionally well given its basic framework and small imager. In most cases, the PowerShot A480 performed tantamount to the PowerShot A1100 IS, and we shot side-by-side with both. The PowerShot A480 produced sharp, vibrant images with minimal noise and it even surprised us in low light. Of course stabilizing the camera in low light was always a task due to its lack of Image Stabilization, but exposure was great. The PowerShot A480's image quality trumped many contenders in its class, including more advanced models.
Scene Test – The Strip
Noise seems to be funneled into the right side of this image, and that's due to the PowerShot A480's shallow depth of field, proof that the PowerShot A480 was not designed for sweeping landscapes. However, the focused portion is sharp as a tack and colors look natural. This is a lot for a camera to tackle, but the PowerShot A480 does the strip justice.
Color Test – Bellagio Lobby Ceiling
This image is almost identical to the Canon PowerShot A1100 IS's rendering of the Bellagio lobby ceiling, which means the Canon PowerShot A480 excels in the color department. This is a beautiful palette rife with vivid colors that do not bleed. Noise is low, detail is great and this is an excellent performance from a little budget cam.
Detail Test – Killarney Pub
We experienced our best results at close range, as we can see in the intricate detail of the stained glass windows and textured surface of the pub. Colors look vivid, but not oversaturated and noise is nearly nonexistent. We do catch a little fringing along the top of the air conditioner, but the overall detail in this image is top notch.
Sharpness Test – The Vegas Brooklyn Bridge
We were also taken aback by the Canon PowerShot A480's ability to produce crisp pictures, and it's evidenced by the razor sharp bridge cables. There's a dash of fringing along a few cables in the foreground, and especially along the ridges of the arches, so the PowerShot A480 still suffers from entry-level imaging symptoms. However, the PowerShot A480 handles most of the edges and lines very well in this image.
Contrast Test – Oyster Fountain
Dynamic range was also troublesome, and this was the best we could do without the blazing sky eating the oyster inside the shell. There's also a hefty dosage of fringing along the ridge of the oyster shell, thanks to the blown-out sky. You'll have to watch your lighting in certain shooting environments.
Macro Test – Light Cage
The Canon PowerShot A480's Macro feature was great, allowing us to burrow the lens nearly an inch from this cage. The detail is very impressive, though we think the PowerShot A480 is capable of an even crisper image with a little more distance from the subject.
Indoor Low Light Test – Bellagio Casino
Night Test – MGM Grand
Night Test - Paris
Low light was the prime shocker, as we can see in these images, though without Image Stabilization we struggled at times. Take the Paris image, for example. Colors and exposure are great, but the image lacks sharpness, even after bracing the camera on a solid object. The PowerShot A1100 IS was able to deliver the same image, only focused. Braced on on the floor of the Bellagio Casino, the PowerShot A480 could not provide an adequate focus. The MGM image is the best of the lot, displaying excellent clarity, exposure and minimal noise, but we could have used a smaller aperture to take in the full scene. For its class, the PowerShot A480 is a low light champ, but you'll have to get used to lugging a tripod everywhere you go.
Price and availability
The Canon PowerShot A480 is currently available in stores for $130.
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